Marketing, advertising & media intelligence

In a new spot celebrating the launch of two new RTD flavours, Woodstock pulls the plug on a rowdy house party and dives straight into a surprisingly high-pitched rendition of ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’.

The talent at the centre of the spot cuts through the stereotypes suggested by his beanie and neck tattoo as soon as he opens his mouth and starts signing.

TBWA executive creative director Christy Peacock says the introduction of the Bourbon and Ginger Beer and Bourbon and Crisp Apple flavours marks an important shift for the whole category.

"To bring it to life we flipped an everyday setting and an iconic track on its head," Peacock says. "We found some incredible local talent who deliver this piece of music in a completely unexpected and Kiwi way."

The move into non-cola bourbon RTDs by Independent Liquor was driven by research showing that 75 percent of New Zealanders surveyed said they would purchase ginger beer while the apple flavour appeals to 70 percent of consumers.

“This is an exciting launch for Woodstock just in time for summer, it’s a full-flavoured, refreshing bourbon drink perfect for summer days and catching up with mates," says Laura Youngman, the senior brand manager of RTDs and Spirits at Independent Liquor. "We’ve blended authentic barrel aged bourbon with refreshing mixers that will appeal to both bourbon drinkers and beer lovers.”

A possible challenge facing Independent Liquor will, however, be to convince males to try the drink, with research from Alcohol NZ showing that men are less likely to drink RTDs than women. Furthermore, the percentage of RTD drinkers also declines quickly as consumers become older.

That said, the two new flavours could present an opportunity for Woodstock to win a few new customers in demographic groups that shy away from cola-flavoured RTDs.

The Woodstock Easy Roller campaign will appear in outdoor, digital, social and in-store. View the Woodstock Easy Roller video content.

If we find you doing these things, your comments will be edited without recourse and you may be asked to go away and reconsider your actions.
We respect the right to free speech and anonymous comments. Don’t abuse the privilege.

Embarrassingly for the industry, this certainly looks like a scam ad. A scam ad in my mind is a piece of work that is instigated by the agency for the primary purpose of winning awards, rather than having a real ...

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Why we like it: In New Zealand, it's not uncommon for a guitar to be pulled out during a social gathering and a few tunes—think '10 Guitars'—played for all to hear. But what's not as expected is a beanie-wearing man, surrounded by his tattoo-laden friends, to open his mouth and start a singalong to The Tokens' 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. The surprising singalong is a clever way to announce Woodstock's new softer range of Ginger Beer and Bourbon and Crisp Apple flavours.

Why we like it: To announce its rebrand and new slogan, 'The future is exciting. Ready?', Vodafone has gone back to where human communication started before accelerating into the future. The montage of clips, centred on the idea of saying 'hello', travels the world to show how it was done in the past and will be done in the future, as well as what different cultures do, with New Zealand making an appearance throughout. It's nice to see the inclusion of Māori culture to localise a version of an international campaign as well as a cameo of the much-loved protagonist Piggy-Sue.

Who's it for: AMI Insurance by Colenso BBDO

Why we like it: AMI is on a mission to show New Zealanders what a safer world would look like. By styling the protagonist 'Rollergirl' like a character from the 80s, the spot makes a nod to a time when children would leave the house to play in the streets. According to a 2014 Slatearticle, the leash around children has been consistently shortening since the 70s and children have less freedom to roam than their parents. By ending its TVC with the line 'Together, we can make our world a little safer', AMI is showing its commitment to making a difference in society and we hope the audience responds to the encouragement to join in.